There are numerous types of electrical control systems that are responsive to the touch of animals, such as humans, pets or domestic animals. These systems vary all the way from conventional electric contact devices to capacitive and resistive type devices that respond to the proximity of an animal or the shunting of the animals body resistance across an electric circuit. These systems are usually responsive to only one condition of presence of an animal, such as capacitive coupling as in a proximity switch, or actual physical movement as in the use of a conventional electric switch. Conventional electric switches which require movements are susceptible to contamination and mechanical failures. Switches which respond to electric capacity can be inadvertently actuated by the proximity of objects other than an animal. The deficiencies of these types of switching systems are overcome by the present invention.